SB1070 could be affecting schools, businesses
by Bob McClay, Sandra Haros, Kevin Tripp/KTAR (June 10th, 2010 @ 7:11am)

PHOENIX -- Arizona's immigration law, which takes effect July 29, already is affecting some schools and small businesses, according to people close to the situations.

The Balsz Elementary School District in Phoenix is 75 percent Hispanic, and it's been losing students.

"We went back to when the law was signed and then to today. We have 95 fewer students than we did before the law," said Superintendent Jeff Smith.

"People have told our staff in the school that they are leaving," Smith said. "They may say that they're going to different places -- other states perhaps or perhaps back to Mexico."

Smith said it's his "understanding" that the exodus is specifically because SB1070 is about to become law.

Counting students' parents and other relatives, Smith estimates that as many as 500 people have left the district because of the law.

Smith said the drop in enrollment hasn't affected the district's budget -- yet.

"Funding in Arizona is based on the prior year, so we will be funded next year based on the number of students we have this year... Our staff should feel secure with their jobs and so on for next year. The following year is a different story. If enrollment goes down, we would need to make reductions."

He said the district will work hard to educate the students it has.

"The United States Constitution is very clear. We are given the responsibility to educate anyone who lives and resides in our area, in our community. That is the law, and we will continue to follow the law and the U.S. Constitution until such time as that changes."

SB1070 also is taking a toll on Arizona's small businesses, according to James Garcia with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

"Mom and pop operations -- many of which really came to exist because the immigrant populations were there -- are probably suffering the most, in the most immediate ways," said Garcia.

He said no official data has been gathered, but business owners are reporting business is way down.

"I've talked to some of these people -- people who own a boot shop, people who own a hair salon. They're essentially saying, `I'm losing a lot of my customers. People are leaving. They are making the decision to move.'"

He added, "If they run a salon, if they run a small restaurant, those people are taking a real hard hit on a very short-term, immediate basis. If you go door-to-door with those businesses, that's what they're going to tell you, `We're losing our customer base.'"

Garcia said the failure of businesses that cater to the immigrant community would have a ripple effect on the entire community and the whole state.

Gov. Jan Brewer's office said that citizens and legal residents have no reason to leave Arizona and questioned whether there are facts to support falling enrollment and spending by Hispanics.

The governor's spokesman, Paul Senseman, said it might be a little early to say Hispanic school enrollment is plummeting.

"There doesn't appear to be any empirical evidence that this is occuring at all," Senseman said, although he said he has heard anecdotal stories about students leaving.

When it comes to businesses, Senseman said there are lots of economic forces at work, such as the housing crisis and the recession.

"Other things are creating shifts in our economy. There's no doubt it's happening nationally. Arizona is not the only state."

Boycotts of Arizona because of the new law also are to blame, Senseman said.

Asked what a businessman should think if he sees his customer base falling, Senseman said, "I would be furious with people like Congressman (Raul) Grijalva, who have suggested that businesses boycott and that people leave. It is our own Arizona congressman who has suggested that out-of-state businesses should boycott these kind of Arizona businesses."

Legal residents and citizens shouldn't fear the new law, Senseman said, adding that he thinks there's lots of misinformation out there.